I once went to an Ethiopian restaurant when we were living in Michigan. I would say It was more like a house with different rooms and one common table in each of them. So everybody sat together and ate from a single plate. All the Ethiopian dishes I tried had rich and layered flavors just like Indian ones. It was an interesting experience. Basically, Ethiopian cooking has 3 build blocks -
WHAT IS BERBERE?
Berbere is an Ethiopian Spice Blend that is is made by blending different chilies & spices together. I read somewhere that in Ethiopia, it takes days to make Berbere. They dry the chilies for three straight days in the sun , stone-ground them and other spices separately. After mixing all the spices with chilies, they again set the blend in sun to dry. It kind of reminds me of my childhood. Back at home, my mother used to sun dry species for Garam Masala. I think Ethiopian cuisine is similar to Indian cooking in various aspects, so I had to try berbere… Just like Garam Masala that we use in Indian cooking, Berbere is also a universal seasoning. And each family has its own recipe for this seasoning. It can be used in stews, or as a rub, or any recipes that require a little spiciness. I have made it in bulk and using it in most of my recipes to make them extra spicy.
ETHIOPIAN SPROUTED LENTIL STEW
Being a vegetarian Indian, I eat lentils almost every day. And I like Ethiopian Sprouted Lentil Stew because they cook easily and are more nutrient-rich. Sometimes I use fresh sprouted green lentils for this recipe. Berbere gives a layered complex flavor to lentils resulting in a layered flavored rich dish. Enjoy the dish with Injera, Bread or Roti.
HOW TO MAKE ETHIOPIAN LENTIL STEW
STEP 1 - SAUTE: First and foremost is the saute the veggies including onions and tomatoes with some garlic. then add rest of the vegetables you want to add in the stew like squash, zucchini, bell peppers, french beans, etc. STEP 2 - ADD LENTILS: Then add lentils of your choice and kidney beans and stir. Add vegetable stock or water along with Ethiopian spices. STEP 3 - PRESSURE COOK: Then pressure cook for 30 minutes using Soup setting of Instant Pot until everything is cooked properly. STEP 4 - ADJUST & SERVE: Adjust the spices, if needed. And serve hot with your favorite bread and enjoy.
TOMATO BASIL SOUP HOMEMADE BREAD BOWL PUMPKIN DINNER ROLLS TRI-COLORED SPROUTED LENTIL SOUP FOCACCIA BREAD
📖 RECIPE CARD
